Dec. 12th, 2020

Colligo » Profile

PERSONALITY: Kate grew up with an identical twin sister (Elizabeth/Beth) and both parents in the military. The twins and their mother were abducted by unidentified terrorists on the twins' twelfth birthday; their mother was murdered and Beth believed dead as well. Kate still deeply feels that loss and it has shaped the rest of her life. Since the tragedy, Kate has adhered to her mother's instilled values of honesty, honor, and integrity. Her only dream was to serve, specifically in the military. West Point "separated" her under "don't ask, don't tell" after she maintained her integrity by not denying her homosexuality. She spent a few years purposeless, and since her father had remarried a billionaire, she had more than enough money to live off of as she partied her way around Gotham City. She tried out college and dropped out, not seeing the point.

For a while, she had a serious relationship with police detective Renee Montoya, which ended in part over clashing viewpoints about how Kate's privileged status made it easy to be an out lesbian and she didn't have to work, while Renee did and found it necessary to stay closeted in a homophobic environment. Kate tried and failed to make up with Renee, drifting through life again, until she encountered Batman after she successfully took down a would-be mugger. She had an epiphany seeing the Bat signal in the sky-- she could channel her absolute need to serve and become a vigilante, outside the system that rejected her. After a year solo, her father discovered what she was doing and supported her so she could "do it right." They built up a base and she received years of training to become Batwoman.

Kate's nature is a mix of intensely focused dedication and rebellious free spirit, with a softer affection-craving side as well. She denies that she needs anyone to take care of her, yet she also has a deep need to be loved and have emotional intimacy. While she has a proven respect for the conventional and traditional as seen in her military background, she also loves an active night life whether clubbing or crimefighting. She refuses to become dishonest about herself in conforming to expectations of her appearance and behavior. For instance, she sports tattoos and something of a "punk-psychobilly-goth" look, wears her preferred tuxedo despite getting stares at a formal event, remains honest about her sexuality despite severe consequences, and obviously she defies legal structures by taking down Gotham criminals while wearing a costume that mixes menace and sexiness.

Kate is tough. When she was abducted by the Religion of Crime, stabbed in the heart as a prophesied sacrifice, she took the knife out herself to throw at her would-be-killer because he was threatening Renee. She pushed herself through a rapid recovery so she could return to being Batwoman. Under the effects of hallucinations that had her flashing back to her mother's dead body, she still pushed through it to protect her father. After being crushed in a rock fall that would've left her quadriplegic even if she survived, she willingly overdosed on morphine so she could be resurrected whole via a Lazarus Pit. And then it was right back to work. It takes a lot to stop her.

ABILITIES: Military training, both formal officer training at West Point and later private studies with a variety of specialists; various urban combat and crime-fighting skills such as equipment usage and investigative techniques; Bat-family type skills such as travel via swingline and throwing weapons (custom blades rather than Batarangs); Olympic-level gymnastics; self-taught guitarWEAKNESSES: Issues regarding her late mother and twin sister; obsessive need to serve a cause or else she'll drift aimlessly; mornings

CANON POINT: After Batwoman #0 and her Batman, Inc. issues. She goes by her Detective Comics run and the revised canon established there rather than the 52 interpretation. She'll likely be canon updated after her series gets going, and after completed storylines rather than issue-to-issue.

WHY HAS YOUR CHARACTER CAUGHT THE EYE OF THE COLLECTOR?: The Collector has already collected the woman who was the original Batgirl, her later Batgirl successor/prodigy, her ally-who-was-briefly-Batgirl, and the current Batgirl. Adding Kate helps round out his Bat-female collection. Also, needs more ginger.